Happy Ending
by Grey Like Stormy Skies
Summary: Today is my wedding day, and I wish it were my Sweet Sixteen again. I wish I could slip back to that fall day when those I loved were still with me, and still complete. When they still couldn’t comprehend the meaning of heartbreak. [Hermione oneshot]


_**Happy Ending**_

They say the second most important day of a girl's life is her Sweet Sixteen. I remember my sixteenth birthday—it was a regular school day, the significance of it unnoticed by everyone except the owl that brought a parcel from my mother, and of course, Ginny. But truly, that was fine; I was a quiet person, and any commotion over the start of my seventeenth year would have only embarrassed me. Ginny gave a hug, touched our foreheads lightly, and wished me a happy day in a secret whisper. She knew I would prefer anything to extravagance.

My two best friends were their usual selves that day, bringing a smile to my face without knowing it was the best birthday present possible. My sixteenth birthday was perfect; hidden among the days of September the same as I was hidden among the students of Hogwarts. But to me, that fall day was important; and to two boys and a younger girl, _I_ was important. It was more than I ever could have hoped for, and for the first time I could remember, I felt content. That night, as I sat near Ron and Harry's playful banter, my life seemed perfect.

They say the most important day of a girl's life is her wedding day. Today is my wedding day, and I wish it were my Sweet Sixteen again. I wish I could slip back to that fall day, when those I loved were still with me, and still complete. When most of them still couldn't comprehend the meaning of heartbreak.

But one of them did; one whose jet black hair was as restless as the boy himself—never able to lie straight on the head of a boy who was never able to sit still. Harry Potter knew the pain of heartbreak more than any of us liked to admit; he had lost his parents, and lived a life where love and a happy ending were only fantasies. But times were better then; he hadn't felt true heartbreak yet, and his heart was still mostly whole. All of ours were.

Today is my wedding day. As I sit in a room at the back of the chapel, staring at my reflection, I am painfully aware of the void we all feel today. As I glance down, sunlight through a green-stained window catches my engagement ring, splaying a sparkling green shadow on the white carpet. Words spoken by a boy with sparkling green eyes flash through my mind.

_**Mark my words, Hermione, you'll marry him one day.**_

He was right, of course, and today proved it. I hadn't believed him then. I looked at him in disbelief, but he knew.

_**Don't look at me like that, Hermione. Just you wait and see; you two can't live without each other.**_

He had an ability to read people; he could pick up on small details no one else would notice nor care about. Maybe it was because he so desperately wanted others to notice the small details about himself. Maybe it was because he craved to know completely every person he cared for, because he was unable to know the two people his heart naturally cared for most of all. Or maybe it was simply because that was how he was; maybe there was no other reason. He certainly never considered it odd, and most likely never even realized he could understand people so well. But that was Harry—he could understand life better than anyone, and wasn't afraid to face the truth.

_**It's time, Hermione. Don't try to stop me, I have to do this; I have to try. Take care of Ginny if anything happens, won't you? And Ron.**_

In that moment, I hated him—hated my best friend. I hated him for even thinking he wouldn't survive; hated him for asking me to be the strong one. I hated him for even implying there might not be a happy ending. But, as always, Harry knew. He knew he wasn't destined for a happy ending, but hoped the rest of us could find one. In the end, he wasn't fighting for his life; he was fighting for ours.

"Hermione? You only have a few minutes, are you all ready?" I stood up from the stool as I heard Ginny's voice. I turned to see her standing in the doorway, looking elegant in her maid of honour dress. Our eyes locked for a moment—brown connecting with brown. For a moment we were as one. _He should be here_. It was in both our minds, though the words would never be spoken out loud. They didn't need to be; it was a given.

We each took a step, and met in the middle. I don't know how long our embrace lasted; it was as long as we needed it to be. She pulled back, her hands light on my shoulders as she surveyed me, up and down. My gaze stayed fixed on her face. Looking closely, I could see a red tinge around her eyes that makeup couldn't cover. She had been crying, but would never admit it.

"You're beautiful, Hermione." A whisper, and she caught my eyes again. A soft smile desperately trying to hide her emotions. I knew that on many levels, this day was murder on her; it had to be, if it was to me.

"Thank you, Ginny." Those words carried so much weight; so much thanks. _For being here today_. _For being able to be happy for me. For not hating me for having the perfect wedding you won't ever have. For not resenting me for marrying the man I love._

"Always." No more words were needed, and together, we turned to stare into the full-length mirror.

Two girls stared back—one barely twenty-two years old, one almost twenty. One dressed in pure white, on her wedding day, the other wrapped in a soft blue the same color as the groom's eyes; her brother. One happier than she thought she could be, one more bitter than she would ever let on.

Today is my wedding day. In a few moments, I'll walk down the aisle, and marry the boy from my childhood, the man of my dreams. In a few moments, Ginny will watch the marriage of her best friend and brother, and wish it was her and her long, lost lover. In a few moments, my heart will mend a little more, as Ginny's is torn apart.

"We should probably get going, Hermione. The music's starting, and you don't want to keep Ron waiting." Ginny knew all about waiting for love; she would be waiting the rest of her life to be reunited with her love.

_**I'm going to do it, Hermione. I'm going to ask her.**_

Ginny and Harry would have been married, had things turned out differently. I knew Ginny kept the small diamond ring on a necklace she always kept around her neck, though I would never tell her. Ginny had dreamed of marrying Harry long before I had even liked Ron. And yet I was the one getting married today, while Ginny was the maid of honour, forever forced to crush the jealousy that would sizzle in her at the sight of every happy couple.

Today is my wedding day, and I saw a sparkle in her eyes; something I hadn't seen for many, many months. Ginny was truly happy for me, and it brought tears to my eyes, blurring her face until I could only see the red of her hair.

"Oh no, none of that now." Her soft voice made me laugh, while her nurturing soul comforted me. She grabbed a tissue, and carefully wiped away any evidence of tears. She flipped one curl of my brown hair, and her smile was void of anything but genuine happiness.

Today is my wedding day, and we will all be okay. Even Ginny.

"Much better." She lightly knocked our foreheads together, something that hadn't happened in years. She clasped her hand in mine, and led me out the door. My father was waiting, and as we embraced, he whispered to me. I knew he was proud of me and I knew he loved me, but the reassurance one last time brought a smile to my face.

Today is my wedding day, but there is someone missing. As I walked down the aisle, my feet keeping in beat with the music, I looked at the people surrounding me. Professor McGonagall, Hagrid. Remus and Tonks, the happiest newlyweds I had ever known. I caught Remus's eye. Tears blurred my vision again as I thought of my best friend, the boy who couldn't be here.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sitting in the front row, with their quickly expanding family. They smiled warmly as I passed, though I knew they felt the void too. We all did.

I looked to the altar, and for the first time that day, gazed into the eyes of the man I loved. The love in Ron's smile reached his eyes, and as I looked at him, I was comforted. We both knew Harry should be here, but we both knew he would hate us for thinking even one unhappy thought today, especially if it was about him.

My eyes shifted to the best man. George looked uncomfortable; he knew a different man should be standing next to his brother, acting as best man. But that man was gone, left only in the hearts of each person in the chapel.

Today is my wedding day, and my eyes sting with tears refusing to fall as I reach the altar. Soon I'm standing next to Ron, Ginny on my other side. I glance at her one more time. All resentment is gone from her mind and body; this is my day, and she is happy for me. Looking at her smiling face, her eyes sparkling once again, I know someday our places will be switched.

One day in the future, Ginny willd be the one in the white gown, and I'll be in the maid of honour's dress. It will take time, but Ginny will learn to love and be loved by a man again. Never with the intensity she loved Harry, and never with the completeness Harry loved her, but love nonetheless. Ginny would move on, and Harry would watch her, from somewhere.

Today is my wedding day, and before I turn to face the priest, my eyes shift to the ceiling. The colors of the stained glass create patterns on the ceiling as light floods through windows. There is one jagged trail of light that catches my eye. It is green, shaped like a lightening bolt.

Today is my wedding day, and for the first time all day, my heart is smiling along with my lips. Harry may not be with us physically, but as I turn to face Ron, I know he is with us nonetheless. I can no longer feel the void that was tearing apart my heart moments before. Finally, I am ready to find my happy ending.

_**Mark my words, Hermione, you'll marry him one day.**_

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A/N: If you recognize this, it's because it's reposted, so no worries… 

Seeing as you've taken the time to read this and I'd love to hear your thoughts and reactions, it would be greatly appreciated if you took another minute to leave a review. Thanks!


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